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 | Bangkok Local Customs | Tips 31 - 40 of 383 |  |
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If, on the piers along the Chao Phraya, you see a Styrofoam tray of beef on steamed rice, along with a couple of cups of tea lying around, with an incense stick rammed into the top, try not to go down the judgemental “look at the littering!” “isn’t this disgraceful?” “oh what hypocrisy about Buddhism and treating the environment this way” route. Just don’t do it.
What you have here is what we see from many of the Chinese Thai Business Owners around the Wat Arun river pier. An offering to the river, to the temple or to whatever happens to be on their minds that day. The dear old lass who laid this lot here carried on her rituals in her own world as the motor boats rolled in and the heaving crowds washed past her. She, non plussed, let them get on with it, and they, well they let her get on with her stuff too. Oh yes. Amid this chaos there is always someone in their quiet own world, considering their spirituality and the “elsewhen”. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Sacred Banyan Trees | Tip Rating: | | | | |
It’s guaranteed that on your road travels around Bangkok, the rural areas and the islands you’ll get to see trees wrapped up in coloured silks and non-descript man made fibres. Often they will have old “redundant”, rotting and broken spirit houses laid at their base.
Most usually they are a sacred Banyan Tree, and more often than not, if they are not in temple grounds, they are in areas of significant numbers of motorcycle accidents. A “momento mori” with a colourful typically Thai bent to design, style and mai pen rai.
Some spirits are believed to live in trees, especially the ones with aerial root structures, creating spaghetti patterns and small crannies. The bodhi tree is one of these, and reports are that the Lord Buddha received enlightenment under one. So the Bodhi and the Banyan get wrapped up right the way across the Kingdom. Cut one down? Dread the thought, at least not with some elaborate rituals that allowed the spirit to relocate.
This sacred tree is in the back area of Wat Pho and attracts more than its fair share of incense and prayer offerings. No motorcycles or homeless spirits here thank goodness. Leave a Comment
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| | | | Joining in the Goss | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Somewhere I read that English women gossip for 80% of their conversations, and the figure was exactly the same for blokes - except we refrain from calling it gossip.
In Bangkok, officially, you don't gossip about people, as it is not the right way sort of thing, and not good Buddhist clean thoughts stuff. However, the lads and lases in my office all have a good gossip but just keep it a bit quiet, and don't do it in the pub.
In Thai gossip scenarios you don't need to do all the announcment pre-match I've got some gossip for you warm up phrases. (For example, "ooo oooh listen listen" "guess what you won't believe this" " 'ere keep this to yourself..."). Those aren't needed, you just get straight into the gossip at hand before someone catches you up to no good. However, the agreement / disagreement / fuelling accelerators are needed. ("Nooooo?" "I don't belieeeve it!" Yeah? yeah, really !" "Go on, yeah, on I'm all ears").
Now, even if you have no clue as to what is going on you can still do the accelarators with all the gang. Dead easy...
For "Noooo?" or "You don't say?" and all that questioning stuff. You say:
Lerrrr?
For "yup, that's what he said" and "I'm just saying it as how I saw it". You drop in:
Jing,
Jing literally means "full stop / period". If you are a lass you may even give it a "jing jiiiiing", but blokes don't do that - the lasses think you are taking the mick and couldn't care less what shampoo she was seen buying.
To go super local and upcountry local lingo you may also add a
"Le blaow?"
to your Jing. This is a bit dangerous. The gang will then think you are dead fluent and may ask you what you think on the matter under review. Nightmare. So I've heard. Jing jiiing. Leave a Comment
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| | | | A story of "epic" proportions | Tip Rating: | | | | |
| | | | General Dos and Don'ts: Thailand Tips and Customs | Tip Rating: | | | | |
After living in Bangkok for over a year I have learned many things about the Thai People that I wanted to share with other foreigners living or vacationing here should know. The first thing you have to accept is that eastern culture is different. The people in the east are less emotional and more polite and while they know westerners are different, they often are uncomfortable when we stray from their norms. The things I found to be important are listed below in order of importance:
1. Be Polite - Thai people hold being polite above all else. Their very language has politeness built into it. If you follow what is considered “common courtesy” you will be fine.
2. Thai King - The Thai People Love their King, King Rama IX. Never show any type of disrespect to him.
3. National Religion - Buddhism is Thailand’s national Religion with nearly 95% of Thailand's population being Buddhist. All Buddha images are considered sacred and there are laws against removing these images for anything other that personal worship.
4. Be Quiet - Loud people are considered impolite. Speak softly and do not laugh loudly. Of course there are the common places such as bars that being loud is appropriate.
5. Body Odor - Thai people almost never smell badly and they find it offensive if others do.
6. Crowds - if you go to areas in Thailand during Thai holiday's and celebrations, be prepared to encounter many people. To Western experience the volume of these areas can be incredible. Be prepared to be pushed and shoved and be aware that they mean no harm. Thai people
7. Watch where you walk - The side walks in Bangkok are uneven and full of obstacles, pay attention. Oh, also, the streets have many stray dogs; the dogs are not aggressive but do leave landmines on the sidewalks.
8. Taxi drivers (enough said) - Most taxi drivers are fine. Generally, it is always better to use the metered taxis. Tuktuks are always more expensive and with Bangkok traffic you could be breathing in a lot of smog on the way. If you are going a significant distance negotiate… Also, the Taxis marked “We love farang, we speak English”, well most of them do not. They do have a radio that has a person that knows a little English.
9. Movie Theater - After the advertizing and right before the movie a tribute to the Thai King Comes on and everyone stands in respect.
10. Driving in Thailand - If you are a brave one and decide that you want drive yourself around Thailand, don't be too worried, it really isn't that bad. There are just several things to understand. Drivers use the left side instead of the right, like in the US, and the roads tend to be narrower than in the US. So driving next to a bus or a truck can be a little intimidating.
Following these tips will allow you to have better understanding of the Thai people and more fun in your stay in Bangkok, allowing the locals to be more comfortable with you and give you a better understanding of how things function in Thailand. Website: http://www.apllc-connect.com/travel/index.htm
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| | | | Soi Dogs: Temple Dogs / Soi Dogs | Tip Rating: | | | | |
In the U.K. my mum would be on the phone to the local pound giving it merry heck about how there is a wild dog on the loose and the rabid mutt is about to take her dearly beloved grandson’s leg off rather than look at him.
In Thailand it isn’t like that. Dogs in sois may be scabby; they may look like nothing out of Cruft’s best in breed. They may have one leg missing. Yet the Thais go with it. And the Buddhist thing means that many of my office staff will even nip out of the office at lunch time, pop down to the local 7-Eleven, buy a can of Chum and feed the scabby mongrel. You see it is all about this live and let, life is all part of the same wheel, and what goes round comes round, sort of thing (I don’t mind, it’s tax deductible).
And do you know what? These dogs are dead cool. No barking, no going bonkers when you get home, no tail chasing bravado, like our Kevin. Soi temple dogs just wander around, have a bit of a kip, sniff round some other dog’s bum – and well, you know… yeah, as if they were on holiday. (Do keep your small kids away from the dogs though, please.)
So no need to widdle yourself, stay calm, give them a medium to wide berth and you won’t have a major UK rottweiller / pit bull scene as you may be fearing. By the way, this is a Taoist temple. Thus proving soi temple dogs are non-denominational. Very wise. Leave a Comment
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